Expensive Iron V Cheap Iron

[Lifegoeson]

I'm considering spending some of my birthday vouchers on a new iron, oh the glamour!

I've always gone for the cheap and cheerful range, but have seen a couple of half price ones at Argos, just wondered if anyone had ever 'upgraded' to more expensive one and actually seen the difference?

Or are they all much the same; hot, flat metal?!

We always had cheap (c. £20) irons. After talking to a friend we bought a £100 steam iron (continuous steam one, with a big chamber...)

The difference is amazing! Wish I'd done it sooner. And our cleaner admitted that in fact she had been trying to pluck up the courage to ask us to get one

We inherited an expensive iron when the sellers of this house left it and didn't want it back. Philips Azure steam iron. It's brilliant. Wouldn't go back to the cheap one that sticks and drags and spits water instead of a gentle mist of steam

I have an expensive philips steam generator and its worth every penny. I have had my share of cheap and cheerful irons and the expensive one is worth every penny.

I was a non-ironer until Philips very kindly gave me one of their top of the range steam generator irons for a MN product test. It is absolutely brilliant and makes short work of every item.

Its the weight that does it for me - I want a light one, much easier on the tennis elbow.

I thought my steam generator iron was very heavy in comparison to the normal one but you get used to it and it really does glide over your clothes. Mines was about £80 so at the cheaper end of the steam generators but it does a fantastic job and makes a the normal kind totally inadequate. Hate having to use one when at a hotel - so much more hard work, would never buy one again.

I bought a more expensive iron last time but opted for the cheapest Argos steam generator there was. I love it! Loved it from the first time I used it to get the creases out of curtains I previously couldn't put back up as they were resistant to the old iron.
DH used it last week and announced that it was broken and a heap of shit .Water just poured out of the bottom and I was devastated. On examination though it proved to be him that was broken :) He had not actually turned the thermostat up - so the iron didnt heat up.

Thank goodness . I really didn't want to contemplate tackling the holiday laundry with an old type iron.

I have usually spent about £50 on irons but seem to replace them fairly frequently. However, I was in John Lewis the other day and their own brand steam iron (basic range) looked really good and was about £8.

Asteam generator will be lighter because you don't put the water in the iron

My MIL's "boyfriend" is alway buying her cheap electrical goods and the most noticeable thing is how short the flex is. I'm sure that putting a short flex on is one of their ways of cutting costs.

I have the John Lewis cheapo one and it's great- previously spent upwards of £50 on an iron only for it to die a couple of years later. Only complaint with the JL one is that the flex is a bit short. Otherwise really good steam shot, heats up quickly - can't complain!

Like Chippy I was given a Phillips steam generator iron to test out. If it ever pack up, I would happily fork out for another one as it's really cut my ironing time down and makes a much better job of getting clothes really crisply ironed. You will need the space to store it though, as they can be quite large.